Canceled vs. Cancelled

People all around the world that live in harsh climatic conditions are quite familiar with both these words. Cancelled and canceled are quite similar words, with similar meanings but different spellings and that fact causes a sense of confusion when writers use them in their writings.

With the help of this article, I will illustrate the difference between the two words, highlighting their contextual meanings. At end, I would explain a useful trick to help you utilize them accurately in your writing instantly.

Origin:

The word cancel originated from late Middle English (in the sense ‘obliterate or delete writing by drawing or stamping lines across it’): from Old French canceller, from Latin cancellare, from cancelli ‘crossbars’.

Cancel as verb:

In the English language, cancel is used as a verb which refers directly to choosing not to ensure something won’t occur anymore, something that was previously decided that it would be carried out.

Cancel also means to neutralize or negate the force or effect of (another).

Cancel as noun:

Cancel is also used as a noun in English language which means a mark made on a postage stamp to show that it has been used.

Use of canceled:

The only difference between the two words is the spellings and the countries they are preferred in.

Canceled with one alphabet of ‘L’ is American English’s preffered choice in utilization of the word in their every day language. The

Use of cancelled:

Cancelled with two alphabets of ‘L’ is usually preferred in the British language and hence, more commonly used all around the world.

Examples:

Canceled or cancelled:

Canceled and cancelled are both past tenses of the verb cancel. To cancel is to annul or invalidate; to decide or announce that planned or scheduled event will not take place. So, which word is which? Is it canceled or cancelled?

Both usages of the words are accurate generally in the English language but with the different countries preferring different spellings, it is important to keep the reader’s origin in mind when writing. Remember, the spicy flavor canceled how terribly the food was cooked.